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5 Tips To Cure Late Night Cravings

When I’m done eating supper, I’m usually done eating for the night. Just over the past couple months, I’ve been enjoying popcorn when watching movies with my hubs, but that’s unusual. But many struggle with late night cravings. I’ve got some realization kick in the butt tips for you.

BTW, BONUS FOR YOU!

Recipe – I put 1/3 cup popcorn kernels in a brown, paper bag. Add some Himalayan sea salt and a teaspoon of Ghee (clarified butter – ok to eat for lactose problems. I’ll have to share the recipe another time). Or vegan butter. You can use regular butter but not any of that processed crap. Use the real deal.

Fold the end of the bag over a few times. Mush the contents in the bag together. Put it in the microwave. Hit the popcorn cycle on your microwave and tada! You have popcorn without all the calories.

Ok – squirrel syndrome over. Back to my post.

#1 – Cravings

Cravings are usually a sign that your body needs something. You might want to start keeping track of what you’re eating. I know it’s a pain in the butt, but even if you do it for a couple of weeks, it’s an eye opener. Use MyFitnessPal on your phone. It breaks down all the macro nutrients for you.

#2 – Boredom

It can also be a sign of boredom. Do you really want something to eat, or are you just bored and that’s going to occupy you for a bit? Start to take notice of what you’re doing at night. Maybe you need to do a puzzle, get a word find puzzle book. Something that will keep your mind active.

#3 – Thirst

Do you know, your taste buds don’t know the difference between hunger and thirst? Drink up some water and see if your cravings go away.

#4 – Routine

Do you ever notice that you tend to follow the same habits during a certain time or place? Maybe you eat while watching tv, you read while you’re in bed. You get late night cravings – are you watching tv? Or are you visiting with friends? Start to take note of when you get the cravings. Is it the same time each night? Are you performing the same activities? Are you in the same room?

Take note and take action. I know for me? My days are flat out starting 4AM. I literally don’t sit down for 10 hours straight, except for my 7-minute ride to and from work (ya tough huh? I used to have a 45 minute ride to work). Then, depending what I do when I get home, I’m still on my feet doing things around the house.

Once I sit down to eat supper, that is when my routine begins. I work on my social media, then depending on the night, my blog post. (Finally back on track). Then, it’s time for me to relax and unwind.

What do I do? I like to watch YouTube –either educational stuff, but mostly X-Factor, America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent. You get the picture. Well, when I do that, I like to have a cocktail – vodka seltzer. So, watching YouTube has become my trigger to enjoy a cocktail. That’s fine, but not every night. So, just as you could get cravings and binge eat, realize your triggers and change them.

#5 – Eat Protein

If you realize you are truly hungry, have some protein. Maybe a protein shake or hummus and veggies. And then go back to your dietary intake – you may not be eating enough quality calories.

I hope this helped. We’re all human and we’re not going to be perfect all the time. But, we don’t want to sabotage all the hard work we do to be healthy. So best of luck. Let me know if this helped you and if you find your aha moment during the week.

Hi Martha,
It sounds like you need to put aside some “ME” time every day. Meditation and Exercise. 🙂 Even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. Plus, of course getting enough sleep. 6-8 hours would be perfect.

Here’s a great breathing technique that helps with fatigue. Sit in a comfortable position and repeat this 5 times: inhale slowly and deeply breathe through your nose and then exhale just as slow as your inhale. You will find a renewed sense of energy. This is really good to do every day. It pumps oxygen in your body, which increases your blood flow.

Did you know that we yawn because our bodies are telling us we need more oxygen? This breathing exercise helps. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.Lisa Magoulas recently posted…5 Tips To Cure Late Night Cravings

Thanks for writing this great post! Out of all of these, the last one works best for me. It’s crazy how protein keeps you so very full. When I was on atkins earlier this year, I lost a ton of weight because I was so full on protein, I ate hardly anything! lol It definitely cured my desire for any late night snacks!

Hi Nicole,
Congratulations on your weight loss. That’s quite an accomplishment. Carbs are killers for sure. Especially at night, because we don’t have time to burn them off. That’s when they convert to sugar and we pack the pounds on. Keep up the good work, it’s definitely a life, long process. Thanks for taking time to stop by and comment.Lisa Magoulas recently posted…5 Tips To Cure Late Night Cravings

Bonnie, that cracked me up. Small amounts of chocolate are good for you. The higher the percentage of cocoa the better. But, I can see where it would keep you awake. I’m super sensitive to sugar and caffeine, so I’d have the same problem. Maybe try having it earlier in the day and switch your reward to something savory. Or, a nice beverage, favorite tea, etc.

Years ago, when it was all the rage, I did the Optifast diet. Ya know, the one Oprah was on and lost all that weight? It was monitored by a Dr and all I was allowed to “eat” were shakes. Anyway, digressing here. What I did to treat myself was buy myself flowers once a week. It helped me get my mind off of food for some reason. Just a thought. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.Lisa Magoulas recently posted…5 Tips To Cure Late Night Cravings

Love your style of writing. Like the tips to beat them cravings. It is very hard to give up snacking when it can be a form of security and comfort. For me I had to turn to crocheting and knitting. It gets my mind off of the craving and on to something productive.

Thank you Aaron. That’s a great idea – diverting your thoughts to keep your mind busy so you don’t snack. Funny how small changes can make a big difference, isn’t it? Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment.Lisa Magoulas recently posted…5 Tips To Cure Late Night Cravings